Childers wins bid for $75 million project

 

Childers wins bid for $75 million project

Childers Construction Company is in line to manage the construction of the State of Florida’s new $75 million football operations facility.

Childers Construction will work with the project architect and provide pre-construction services while the final building design is being completed.

The timeline for the highly anticipated opening of the facility is 2024 or 2025. The facility will be funded by FSU and Seminoles Boosters, Inc. Boosters awarded the contract to Childers Construction last week, according to a university spokesperson.

Childers has been one of the university’s most prominent construction contractors over the years.

He managed the $79 million Champions Club on the south side of Doak Campbell Stadium, which was completed in 2016. He has also finished other smaller projects at FSU in the past two years.

FSU COVERAGE

The project’s award comes two years after the university severed ties with the local company after 2015 photos of its co-owner appeared dressed as Bob Marley in blackface during a Halloween party.

At the time, FSU officials emphasized that the moratorium on Childers’ hiring was on hold and was not intended to last forever.

RAM wins contract to repair Doak Campbell Stadium

Earlier this week, the Democrat reported that FSU had awarded the contract to make improvements to Doak Campbell Stadium using Blueprint sales tax money to RAM Construction.

The contract awarded in May will use $20 million allocated by the Intergovernmental Agency Blueprint.

RAM Construction was among three local contractors who applied for the job, joining Childers Construction and Culpepper Construction Company.

While repairs and improvements to Doak Campbell Stadium are immediate, an independent football facility has been a goal for FSU.

Breakthrough in the project that will align the Seminoles with the country’s top programs is slated for later this year.

Boosters studying financial models

The two-story facility is expected to be built along Stadium Drive, adjacent to the football team’s training grounds and indoor training ground, and will be 150,000 square feet or more.

Seminole Boosters, Inc. – the fundraising arm of Seminole Athletics – has more than $53 million committed to the project.

According to the bidding documents obtained by the Democrat, the booster organization is also exploring a variety of financial models, including a public-private partnership, to complete the project.

FSU posted a feasibility study request on Monday to explore different financial models.

To make this happen, the university canceled the original RFQ (request for qualification) for the project, which used the state contracting process.

Vendors that submitted proposals – including Childers – were invited to apply for a Direct Support Organization (DSO) procurement process.

The DSO procurement process is more appropriate, according to FSU, as the project is being funded by grants and private donations.